Wilkinson returned for Newcastle in a pre-season friendly against Irish province Connacht in August.

He was named England captain by coach Andy Robinson in early October, but deep bruising to his right bicep muscle, sustained on 17 October, ruled him out for six weeks, missing all of England's autumn internationals.

In May, he was named in Sir Clive Woodward's Lions squad for the tour of New Zealand but he suffered a "stinger" - a nerve problem associated with shoulder and neck injuries - in the second Test on 2 July. He was ruled out for two more months.

He returned on 2 October as a replacement for Newcastle against Sale but in late November he had surgery on his right groin, a fairly routine procedure for an injury known as a "sportsman's hernia". Out for two months.

Wilkinson was set to return for Falcons against Gloucester on 19 February but suffered a torn adductor (groin) muscle in training, an injury unrelated to November's hernia operation. Out for three months.